Heels over Head

by Clay G. Small

Henry Lindon is playing a game of tit for tat that he’s about to lose. Successful, charming executive Henry Lindon was happily making high-dollar global deals and enjoying the good life in Dallas when his job mysteriously disappears—and with it, his identity. On top of that, he’s sure his beautiful wife is having an affair with some Romeo down in Argentina.

While attempting to start a new life teaching law, Lindon is finding his paranoia has got him around the throat and won’t let go. In class one day, the discussion goes off track from law and libel to tattoos. When a student appears in his office in pink shorts and a crop top and takes the subject of tattoos to a much-too-personal level, Lindon’s at a loss to explain why and worried about ramifications. Discovering he may have the Department of Justice on his back with phony felony charges, he’s reaching his breaking point and nothing’s making sense. Two tattoos, a murder, and an old rivalry are part of a distant game of revenge that’s about to come full circle. 

Heels over Head is classy, smart, and funny, and the voices and deeds of its colorful characters, both good and evil, will live in your head long after you’ve finished the book.

Genres: Romance, Fiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published February 7, 2017

About the author

During his thirty-year career at PepsiCo, Inc., Clay G. Small was General Counsel of nearly all of PepsiCo’s current and former divisions, including Frito-Lay, Pepsi-Cola, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and PepsiCo Wines & Spirits.

He worked as Senior Vice President – Managing Attorney, PepsiCo, Inc. In that position, he was responsible for all legal matters arising out of PepsiCo’s global operating divisions.

Clay received his JD from Southern Methodist University (member of Law Review and Barristers) in Dallas and received his BA in English from Ohio Wesleyan University, where he was a two-time all-American soccer player and drafted by The Dallas Tornado.

Clay is also a Fellow of the Dallas Bar Association.

He has come full circle returning to Southern Methodist University as a Professor in the Cox School of Business and is also a member of the Law School Executive Committee.

Informed by his experiences as a husband, father, professor, executive, and world traveler, Clay has shaped multidimensional characters and thrilling storylines in Heels over Head that bring readers to the front lines of human engagement.

Reviews

[Trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this arc from Netgalley.

Great read! I enjoyed reading this book. A solid, well written book with humorous parts sprinkled throughout.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad.
The first 70 pages were alil rough to get thru. I almost put the book down to finish it up later.
Some of the dialogue was a tad confusing & boring.
But other than that, not bad.
Received this book from a Gr Giveaway.

[Greg Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great plot, colorful and well fleshed out characters, twists, turns, and unpredictable outcomes make this a fun and enjoyable read!

[Krystal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me start off by saying that I was expecting more from this novel. Sure the blurb makes it t sound amazing, but then again the blurb has been known to occasionally be the best part of a book, and unfortunately in this case it was true.

We never get straight answers to anything. Why did he lose his job? What aside from something really silly caused him to think his wife was cheating? Why were the characters acting like kids fresh out of high school instead of the adults they were supposed to be?

Ok so the last one was really just my take on things, but honestly? If you thought your spouse was cheating on you, and you had "proof" of an affair why would you not confront them? Why let it stew for so long? And the "villain" of this story? He had money, he had a social standing... why is he holding on to something from so long ago? And the murder? Honestly it didn't seem to really be resolved in a satisfactory way either. It was like the author wrote this character into his story and then not knowing what else to do with them tried to add a twist that didn't work.

Overall, I am sure there are still some readers that will love this story. It just wasn't for me.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

[Katherine Hayward Pérez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a mixture, sometimes the plot grabbed me and sometimes it didn't. There were lots of twists and turns, though. I liked the cover and the characters. There were elements of romance, action and thriller that kept me reading.
Thanks to the author and publisher for an advance copy via NetGalley.

[Sher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to the author and publisher for an advance copy via NetGalley.

Henry Lindon is moving into the next phase of his life of teaching law at an university in Dallas. Conflict ensnares his laid-back life and the past is coming for him.

This was suppose to be a thriller filled with suspense. I found it predictable and shallow. Henry careful consideration of everything backed by his critical thinking and slow paced decisions were in fact reactive, whiny, unassertive. A man that could never decide what to do. His sudden backbone was so out of character that it was unbelievable.

Most of the men in the book were in their fifties still holding grudges from high school and acting very juvenile with pranks and one-upmanships. This spilled over into the three lives of the men: alcoholic antics, playboy manners and multiple marriages. All three came across as shallow caricatures. I didn't care what happened to any of them by the end of the book. I was just happy I finished.

The shallowness is further carried out by our never getting a straight answer. Why did Henry lose his job? What really caused him to think his wife was cheating? Where are the smart, critical thinking business men they were suppose to be? Why no resolution at the end? Only a perfectly written story could of handled a cliff ending. Why not let us think one thing happened and in the next book learn how very wrong we were.

I think much of this could of been over come by the women in their lives. Instead of stereotypical women used as filler we could of seen their 'other' side through those they loved and loved them back. It would of fleshed out the book and given it the depth it needed.

[Michael Hawron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heels Over Head by Clay G. Small is a thoroughly delightful, delicious read!

Small’s protagonist—hapless Henry Lindon—captures the reader’s affection from page one with the infectious funk surrounding him. Trouble and adventure seem to stalk Lindon, despite all his best intentions. The underlying humor of the plot is taut, subtle, yet well-nourished throughout the tale.

Mr. Small does a masterful job of weaving a palette of colorful characters into an intriguing narrative, replete with twists and turns in every chapter. Even the final page intimates that there are more such surprises yet to come.

Along the way, Heels Over Head generously propels the reader around the globe to several richly-drawn descriptions of unique locales—brimming with vibrant details, intriguing trivia, and warm authenticity.

This debut novel by Small hits the mark in many categories: the layers of mystery, the many convoluted threads of tension between characters, the skillful and agile writing style, the wonderfully descriptive details and the engaging depiction of a wide range of human emotions all along this fun journey.

-- Michael Hawron, author of the award-winning spy thriller, Just Good Clean Fun.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry Lindon is now wondering what to do with himself after the life he has led in the business world is over. He is offered a professorship at a local college and decides to take it. He thinks his lovely wife is having an affair in Argentina when she is down there for business so life just keeps getting worse. Marvin, his brother tries to look at life in a fun loving way which sometimes is hard for Henry to take even though he loves Marvin. Then there is the guy who thinks they set the cherry bomb which caused him to lose part of his ear when they were all young. The government seems to be coming after Henry too. What to do about it all? Henry has a lot on his plate but he gets it all figured out and back on the road to where he should be going.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story centers around Henry who is moving to the next phase of his life (in what appears to be begrudgingly) of teaching law at Southerland University. Our other main characters are his brother Marvin, his wife Marylou and a co-ed named Nichole, with some minor characters being tossed in.

The theme throughout the book: Is Henry simply being paranoid or is someone from high school out to get him?

I understood this book to be a mystery/suspense theme. However, I found the book fairly predictable. Perhaps belaboring the point that Henry was very slow in making his decisions allowed for a little too much to be disclosed rather than keeping me in suspense.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Others have called this a thriller, but I didn't really think it was that suspenseful. I got it for free from Early Reviewers and I enjoyed the book, but it wasn't gripping. It was fairly predictable much of the time, though some of the things I expected to be intertwined were never tied together in the book.

It was a VERY fast read, but I only had it in paperback format, so I left it at home and didn't have time to read at home much immediately after starting it. I think that it would have been nice if the plot were a bit more complicated.

[Jessica Mcbee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a hard time with the descriptions in this novel. Once I started skimming and picking up on the most relevant facts, the novel read a lot better for me. I think if the prose was tightened up, this would be a really enjoyable book, even with the far fetched shenanigans. Thanks to NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Akeating2003 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure why it took me so long to read this one - good entertaining read. Henry did repeat himself too often - cmon authors, no need to hit us over the head with the constant repetition of what a character is thinking - we get it, he's not sure, he thinks his wife is cheating, he is always in his brother's shadow. Despite that, I liked it.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to author Clay G. Small and publisher Greenleaf Book Group for this ARC of Heels Over Head. Also, thanks to Goodreads for hosting this opportunity through the First Reads program.

I really liked this one. An easy to read, great story with some entertaining characters. A mix of mystery, action, comedy, thriller and romance, with some nice plot twists and turns. Everything was kept light, including the one murder - no detailed graphic depictions of the victim.

The cover is nicely done, displaying the name of the book in larger font than the author, my preferred setup. The ending is left open for a Henry Lindon series sequel.

Highly recommended. A good read.

[Aisha-Kimberly Hashmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book, it was great. loved the ending, lol.

[Hubert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly written this book is built on the experiences of Mr. Smalls long career in law and takes advantage of his many travel experiences. The story takes place in Dallas and locals will recognize many of the sites and events. It is suspenseful and funny, imaginative and full of surprises. The kind of book you won't put down until you are through. A real treat!

[Anjali · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a decent premise but it lost me in the lack of excitement. The characters were a little too comical and the plot was weak. It just read like a bad Lifetime movie.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story and a fun read. Won this book on Good Reads and was pleasantly surprised. Appreciate and thanks Clay G. Small for this tale. Any chance of a sequel?

[Rachael Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

honestly this is another book I can not review. got to chapter 5 and called it quits.

[Chaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is a very engaging, fast-paced corporate/revenge thriller. The characters for the most part are finely drawn, although the villains tend toward the caricatured. There isn't a lot of action that you might see in other novels of these types, and there's a lot more dialogue; however, the novel keeps your interest.

We start out with a protagonist, Henry Lindon, who has lost a high-power corporate job. He is now teaching at university, but conflicts arise. The novel's exposition sets up a lot of interconnected characters and questions, such as: what kind of trouble is Henry getting himself into with his student Nichole? what is the nature of the history of the relationship between Nichole and her uncle? Will that relationship, and Henry's relationship with Nichole, mean more trouble for Henry? Who caused him to get fired in the first place? What does Henry suspect about his wife? What is the relationship between Henry, his brother, and Guy? Who is responsible for the accident that deformed Guy many years ago, and what effect will that action have now on the main characters?

There's a lot of corporate mysteries, intrigue and action here, and all in all, it's a surprisingly quick read, an engaging plot, a villain you love to hate, and a satisfying ending.

Thank you to the author and publisher for a review copy.

[Marianne Donovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book serves an excellent example for the importance of good communication. Most of the conflict in this book could have been avoided had the characters simply spoken honestly to one another. Everyone had a piece of the puzzle, but no one was willing to speak up. Heels Over Head is a quick read novel, a corporate/revenge thriller.

Henry Lindon, once a high-powered executive is now reduced to teaching at a university. He finds he is at a crossroads in his life; he believes his wife is having an affair, that an old high school nemesis is out to destroy his life, that teaching is a waste of his time, and that he will never get out from under his brother's shadow. Is any of it real, or is Henry just being paranoid? As each of the characters stories become interwoven with Henry's life and each others, the story quickly escalates into a murder mystery and corporate intrigue.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the GreatBooks Giveaway!!!

[Terri Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I requested this book from NetGalley and I am so glad I did.
I finished this book in one day! I just had to see how it would end. I have to say I thought it might end just a little differently than it did. The author set everything up perfectly without revealing too much too fast. It was fun seeing how all the characters connected and each scene progressed the storyline. I felt empathy for Henry. I wanted him to be triumphant. Not being familiar with all the finance the business aspects of this book, I thought the author did a good job using these to advance the story, but not bore or confuse the reader.

[Aubrey Klick · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last few pages threw me for a loop that I wasn't expecting. I guess it was a hint to more to come from this author, but that's just guesswork. I didn't see this book as really "thrilling," or even a real page turner. It was just meh for me. I felt myself getting a little bored in some places and felt there were a lot of unneeded passages. The slow pace really threw off the book for me, but it was generally enjoyable, just not a must-read.
*I won a copy of this book through a GoodReads giveaway.

[Heidi | Paper Safari Book Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay book, there were several pieces that I felt jumped the shark or were just out of character. Henry was a bit whiny for my taste and then all of a sudden grew a backbone. There just seemed to be too many "coincidences" for someone to start putting things together. An unnecessary death, I think the author didn't know what to do with this character so it was easier to kill her off then to find a way to fit her into the final plan.

Overall it was an entertaining easy to read, fluff mystery.

[Kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure about this book. It took me a long time to get into this book. It was slow going. I restarted it three separate times before finally committing all the way and diving in. It took me a few days to finish it and in the end? This one just wasn’t for me.

Henry Lindon is a businessman who has recently completed a large scale business transaction and through his brother, ended up getting a position at a university in the Dallas area where they live. Having grown up on a Kansas wheat farm, he still co-owns his parents farm with his brother and has on site management.

He, his brother and another friend from their small town have an arch enemy – a local boy from a wealthy family who the three embarrassed and harassed in high school and who still holds a grudge against them because of it.

And that is where it jumped the shark for me. For grown men to still hold high school grudges despite being wealthy and successful and be willing to put it all at risk was not believable for me. Not only is the grudge holder wealthy and successful, he is also a sexual sadist and I found that part of the story distasteful.

In fact, most of the men who seemed to be in the fifty year old range, were all very juvenile. Holding onto high school hurts; trying to one up each other through pranks; multiple marriages and playboy behavior by a few; alcoholic antics – it made it very hard to care what happened to any of the males in the story.

Henry, for all his critical thinking, slow decision making and deliberate and careful consideration of everything, was a reactive whiny milquetoast. He suspected his wife of an affair despite having very little indication she was in any way unfaithful but it definitely fit with the low treatment of women in the story.

Women are depicted as either ho’s, frigid ice queens; eye candy, victims or gold diggers. It was all quite unbelievable and the most of the women were either sexualized or victimized.

The final turn off for me was the fact that there was no resolve to the story. The ending was intended to be a cliff hanger, I think, and to encourage you to purchase the next book. In all honesty, I was kind of ticked off the story ended this way and because I didn’t care about the characters, I don’t plan on reading the next book or finding out how it turns out.

This may be a story that appeals more to male fans than female, I’m not sure. It left me cold. As I always say though, what one person doesn’t care for may be gold for another. If a cliff hanger appeals to you, then you might pick this one up and hang on for the next one too. It just wasn’t for me.

[Jenni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to author Clay G. Small, NetGalley, and publisher Greenleaf Book Group for this ARC of Heels Over Head. I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

A rivalry dating back to high school fuels the drama and mystery in this imaginative novel. The characterization is well done, and at least one character seems larger than life. I enjoyed the travel sequences and the mystery at the heart of the protagonist's marriage. I struggled at times though with the pace of the plot. Some of the dialogue did not ring true, but for the most part, the author did a good job of keeping me turning the pages.

This is a novel I would not normally pick up, and is not a traditional thriller. But the characters are well drawn, the central conflict is believable, and the suspense was done well. I read to the end to find out how the conflicts would resolve.

[J. Dakar]

I initially struggled with this and wondered whether I'd finish, but I'm glad I did.